Debbie Stabenow

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Madam Speaker, I come today to talk about what I believe is one of the most challenging if not the most challenging issues affecting our seniors and affecting many families across the country. This was spoken to a while ago by the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry), who spoke very eloquently about the challenges of seniors related to the cost of prescription drugs. What we have seen over the years is a system that started in 1965 under Medicare that has been a great American success story. In 1965, half of our seniors could not find insurance or could not afford health care insurance. Now we have a system for health care for seniors. The challenge before us is that health care has changed, the way we provide health care has changed. In 1965 we were predominantly providing health care in hospitals with surgeries, and the use of drugs was limited to the hospital. Today, we know that care has changed; and we see home health care, we see outpatient care, and a great reliance on new prescription drugs, wonderful medications that we are very pleased and proud to have developed in the United States. But at the same time we are seeing a growing disparity and a horrible situation for too many seniors who literally on a daily basis are deciding do I buy my food today, do I get my medications, do I pay the electric bill, how can I keep going and remain healthy and well by having access to my medications? Because Medicare does not currently cover the costs of prescription drugs. I rise today to urge my colleagues as quickly as possible, we are long overdue, in correcting this problem. We have economic good times. There is no reason that we cannot at this time get it right for Medicare, modernize Medicare, to cover the way health care is provided today; and that means covering the cost of prescription drugs. We are in economic good times, and I believe in these times we have obligations to pay our bills and pay our debts and to keep our commitments. One of the most important commitments that we have made to older Americans is Medicare, health care for them. Social Security is another commitment, health care for our veterans, all important commitments that we have made. But because of the challenge that I have heard from too many of my constituents all across Michigan, I began months ago putting together something called the Prescription Drug Fairness Campaign. I have asked seniors and families to share with me their stories, if they are having difficulty paying for their medications to call a hotline that I set up for them to share their stories with me, or for them to send me letters and copies of their high prescription drug bills so that we can put a real face and a name and a situation on this problem. This is not an issue made up by people on the floor of this House or by other politicians. This is an issue that is real for every senior and every family in this country. One of the things that disturbs me the most is the fact that we see such a disparity in pricing. As the gentleman from Arkansas mentioned earlier, we have a situation where if you go to another country, in my State we are right next to Canada in Michigan, I included a bus trip, I invited a number of seniors to join me, to go across the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit to Windsor; and we dropped their costs by 53 percent by crossing the bridge. There is something wrong when there can be such a disparity. And when you add to that the fact that we are precluded by American law from bringing those drugs, mail order or bringing those medications routinely across the border without seeing a Canadian physician first and going through the Canadian process, we cannot reimport those drugs back into the United States, American-made FDA approved, because of protections that were put into the law in 1987 to protect our own pharmaceutical drug companies who are making the drugs here and benefiting from our research and development and the institutions that we have, the tax system we have that provides tax incentives and tax write-offs, which I support, I think it is important and good public policy for us to have an R&D tax credit, I think we need to keep it; but they benefit from that, sell to other countries, and then people are not even allowed to bring that back, to reimport it, without going through the process of seeing a Canadian physician and going through the Canadian health system. I have also done other studies in my district that have shown that if you have insurance, if you have an HMO or other kinds of insurance, you are paying half on average what an uninsured senior or uninsured person is paying for their medical care, for their medicines. So we see seniors who use two-thirds of the medications in this country who do not have insurance and then because others get discounts because they are negotiating group discounts, they do not get those discounts, so they not only do not have insurance but they pay more on top of that, paying twice as much as somebody with insurance. It is crazy. We have done another comparison as some others of my colleagues have that have shown that there are medications that are provided for animals as well as for people where in those cases where there is arthritis medication, heart medication, high blood pressure medication, we compared eight different medications to find that the same name, the same drug, the same quality controls and it costs half if you go to get it for your pet than it does for you to walk into the pharmacy, and we see the same medication. There is something wrong with this picture. We need to make sure that Medicare covers costs of prescription drugs, we modernize it to cover the way health care is provided, and then we need to get busy to make sure that we are lowering the cost of prescription drugs for all of our families. I would like to share this evening three different letters that I have received from people around Michigan sharing their stories. I have made a commitment to the seniors of Michigan that I will come to this floor, I will share stories once a week every week until we fix this. Let me share with my colleagues this evening starting with Delores Graychek from Indian River, Michigan. Delores writes and sends me information as follows: ``I heard you talk on TV on January 26 and something does need to be done to help all of us out here that's on seven or eight medications like I am and have no help to pay for them. I picked up six of my seven meds yesterday. The total came to $274.78. That is more than my Social Security check. More than my Social Security check. Each month we get deeper in debt and soon we will be like a lot of other older people. We won't have anything left. We also are paying on hospital bills for me. I had open heart surgery last November. So by the time all of our bills come in, our Social Security checks are gone. I think it's a shame our golden years aren't golden after all. Thank you for what you're trying to do. Truly, Delores Graychek, Indian River, Michigan.'' I want to thank Delores. She is right. Her golden years should be golden. It is up to us in the Congress to step up and to get it right. If we do not do this in economic good times, we never will. Now is the time to step up and cover prescription drugs under Medicare. Let me cover another letter that I want to thank Joseph and Ethyl Korn from Marquette, Michigan, in the great upper peninsula of Michigan for writing and sharing this with me. Dear Congresswoman Stabenow: My husband and I have an enormous hardship with our prescription bills. Joe, who's a World War II veteran, fought to save our country. He has Parkinson's, mini-strokes, diverticulosis and deep depression. I have high blood pressure and I take my medicine, when I can afford it, including Premarin for my bones. Here is our prescription bill for what we can afford, and you can see I don't get all of mine. Oh, yes, I also have glaucoma and I need eye drops. This is Joseph and Ethyl M. Korn at the Snowbury Heights Retirement Home in Marquette, Michigan.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today here in Washington, D.C. to display the championship, the national championship T-shirt, of the MSU Spartans. Today, in my hometown of Lansing, there has been a wonderful parade going from the State capital out to Michigan State University where thousands of people have joined together to recognize the team that we are so proud of, young men not only who have excelled on the court but off the court as well. I want to congratulate the Michigan State Spartan basketball team on their national championship victory in Monday night's NCAA title game. Led by senior point guard Mateen Cleaves, who showed the heart of a champion by returning from an early second half ankle injury, the Spartans capped a 32-7 season by beating Florida 89-76. All MSU alumni watched with pride, including me, as the Spartans claimed their rightful place as the national champions. Founded in 1855, Michigan State University has a rich history of providing educational opportunities to undergrads of diverse interests, abilities, and backgrounds. The Spartans now add another national basketball title to their world class academic reputation. The pride of East Lansing is now the pride of the entire State of Michigan and the entire country. It is with great joy, Mr. Speaker, as a graduate of MSU, that I take to the floor today to say, Way to go, Spartans. Congratulations to the players, the coaches, the staff, and the parents of this national championship team. World class academics are now joined by a second national basketball title to underscore the MSU is one of the country's finest academic and athletic institutions. Let me just speak for a moment about the year. This win is especially sweet given the loss to Duke in last year's Final Four. In many ways, Monday night's game was representative of the entire season. There were great expectations in Lansing last November, as a senior-led experienced team prepared for the upcoming campaign. However, this great promise was followed by adversity, as Mateen would miss the first 13 games recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot. Instead of reeling from his absence, the Spartans did what they do, they learned how to win without Mateen going 9 to 4 during that stretch and allowing the sensational Mo Pete as we like to call him, Morris Peterson to further develop his all around game while receiving steady efforts from senior forward A.J. Granger, junior guard Charlie Bell and center Andre Hutson. Led by the great coaching of Tom Izzo, who is a native of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and he has been coaching on the staff at MSU for 17 years, the Spartans overcame this obstacle with talent and determined effort and entered the grueling Big 10 conference play with even more confidence in their abilities. They completed conference play as co-champions and won the Big 10 conference tournament in Chicago, earning the number one seed in the Midwest Region. The lessons learned early on would pay off down the road, for after easily dispatching Valparaiso in the first round, Michigan State played three tough games in a row, starting with a comeback win from a half-time deficit against Utah to reach the Sweet 16. Next, before a friendly ground in Auburn Hills, Michigan, the Spartans staged one of the most dramatic one half turnarounds in recent tournament memory, erasing a 14-point second-half deficit in handing the Syracuse Orangemen a 75 to 58 loss. Then they capped it, their run to the Final Four, by again rallying late against Iowa State defeating the Cyclones 75-64. The Final Four presented its old and new obstacles. To get to the finals, they had to beat Wisconsin. They persevered against the defensive-oriented style of the Badgers before facing the young, fast and deep Florida Gators in the final. Mateen led the way in the first half of the final game, helping the Spartans to routinely shed the daunting Florida full-court press while scoring 13 points. However, when he went down with an ankle injury, his teammates responded again. The six-foot nine reserve forward, Mike Chappell, knocked down a key three-pointer and freshman Al Anagoyne was a forceful inside presence. Jason Richardson scored 9 points in 16 minutes, while Adam Ballinger added key minutes. David Thomas and Matt Ishiba also saw action and, importantly, with Steve Cherry and Brandon Smith, rounded out a roster that worked hard all year and pushed the starters hard in practice. All in all, the bench scored 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, an effort Coach Izzo termed awesome. Mr. Speaker, this is what college sports is supposed to be about, student athletes that we are proud of on the field, as well as off the field. I see my colleagues here today from Flint. We have what we like to call the Flintstones, awesome young men who worked as a team whose dreams growing up were to win a national championship after playing together on the basketball courts and the recreation centers in Flint. They took it all the way. And we are very, very proud of them. Go Spartans.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as one of the people who is under political attack by right-to-life on this issue which in my State is very clearly a political issue, not a policy issue, because they say I want to keep partial-birth abortions. I say I am a cosponsor of the bill of the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) that says not just partial-birth abortion but all late- term abortion should be illegal in this country except to save the life of the mother or if she has a serious health consequence, a serious threat to her life or her health. That is what this is about. This is an alternative that will be signed by the President and could very quickly be the law of the land to make it clear that not just one procedure but every late-term abortion procedure would be banned except if the mother's life is threatened or there is a serious health consequence to her continuing the pregnancy. And then she could still continue the pregnancy; but it would be her choice, not the politicians in Washington's choice. That is what this is about. I find it along with my colleagues, the women of this House, totally offensive as a mother of two beautiful children to say that women in the final weeks of pregnancy would just have a bad day and decide to terminate a pregnancy that they had carried almost to term. We are talking about women who want children, who are bringing this child into the world, who are excited, who have put together the crib and the wallpaper in the baby's room and are excited and get to the point at the end where they find out that the doctor says, we have got a serious problem here and we are going to have to sit down and talk about it and there is going to have to be some decisions made because there is something that has gone wrong. When that happens, I want the woman, the doctor, her family and her faith and not the people in this room making that decision.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my strong dismay that the Stupak-Stabenow-Camp amendment offered to H.R. 3908, the 2000 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, was not made in order under the modified rule for consideration of the bill. The amendment authored by Congressmen Bart Stupak and Dave Camp and myself would have provided critical, emergency funding to address Bovine Tuberculosis (Bovine TB) in the State of Michigan. At my request, report language is included in H.R. 3908 that urges the Department of Agriculture to address the problem of Bovine TB immediately. The report language urges the Secretary of Agriculture to ``promptly notify the [Appropriations] Committee of any additional funding requirement, accompanied by official requests for additional funds. The Secretary is directed to report to the [Appropriations] Committee by May 1, 2000 on his plan of action.'' Clearly, by including this language in the committee report, the Appropriations Committee has recognized the urgency of the Bovine TB problem in Michigan. Until recently, Bovine TB has only been identified in cattle. For the first time, this threatening disease has been identified in a non- captive deer herd in Michigan. Michigan is the only State in the Nation that has found Bovine TB in a wild animal population. With the presence of this disease in Michigan's free-roaming deer population, Bovine TB is quickly being transferred to captive cattle herds throughout the State and the disease is spreading southward, endangering cattle herds in other States. The State of Michigan is on the verge of losing its ``TB-free'' (Accredited-free) status, granted by the Department of Agriculture. For a period of time, the presence of Bovine TB in both deer and cattle was isolated to the northeast portion of Michigan's lower peninsula. To date, Michigan has had an unusual split status, in which the unaffected regions are deemed ``TB-free.'' Expanded testing, however, has identified the presence of the disease outside the northeast quadrant and USDA officials are now seriously considering granting the entire State a ``Non-modified accredited'' status, the lowest possible Bovine TB status. This reduced status will severely impact Michigan's dairy and cattle industry, require increased testing, and merits increased federal investment in research and support to eradicate the disease. The Stupak-Stabenow-Camp amendment would have appropriated $7.5 million in emergency funding to conduct a cooperative program with the State of Michigan to combat Bovine TB. It is very disappointing that the Rules Committee did not make this amendment in order, resulting in a delay in bringing critical federal dollars to Michigan to eradicate this agricultural and public health crisis. I will continue to work with my colleagues, Representatives Stupak and Camp and the members of the Appropriations Committee, to ensure that adequate federal resources are directed toward combating Bovine TB.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 764, the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act. This legislation is similar to H.R. 3902, which I introduced during the 105th Congress. The bill provides funding for grants that will make the child abuse judicial process more effective and responsive to the needs of the participants. For example, this measure allows for the purchase of closed-circuit television equipment so children can record their testimony instead of appearing in court in person. It also provides for the use of additional court-appointed special advocates. These are people trained to work with families as they go through the court system. Both of these valuable provisions help to humanize what can be a very intimidating and frightening process. During my 16-year career in the Michigan Legislature, I was a leading advocate on child abuse and family issues, and I appreciate the work of my colleagues Congresswomen Deborah Pryce and Stephanie Tubbs Jones on this matter. Domestic violence and child abuse affect the victims for the rest of their lives. It is essential that we do everything in our power to make the courts accessible, empathetic institutions, capable of compassion as well as justice. Without this effort, the future is less bright for kids that have already been robbed of their innocence. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this legislation.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2130, and I commend the gentlemen from Michigan, Mr. Upton, Mr. Dingell, and Mr. Stupak, as well as our other colleagues mentioned here today, for their work on this legislation. I am a cosponsor of this bill and I am glad we are making this one of our first priorities this session. I look forward to it becoming law very soon. H.R. 2130 will classify gamma hydroxybutyric, or GHB, as a schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, as it is in my home state of Michigan. This action is necessary due to the increased and pernicious use of this drug. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), at least 32 deaths have been associated with GHB since 1990, while over 3,500 overdoses have occurred. Emergency room visits due go GHB increased nationally from 26 in 1992 to 629 in 1996. Samantha Reid, one of the young women this bill is named after, was from Michigan. She died one year ago after unknowingly ingesting GHB at a party. She was 15 years old. It is this type of senseless tragedy that H.R. 2130 is meant to address. GHB is odorless and colorless and is easily slipped into a drink without the knowledge of the intended victim. It is generally used as a date-rape drug, a crime that affects women between the ages of 16 and 24 more than any other age group. It is estimated that one in four college women have been the victim of date-rape. H.R. 2130 directs the Department of Justice to develop model protocols for taking toxicology specimens and victim's statements in association with drugs used to commit date-rape. This is important because this crime too often goes unreported. A recent study indicates that 84 percent of rape victims knew their attacker, and 57 percent of those were raped on a date. Moreover, GHB is hard to trace, often leaving the body within 24 hours. The DEA will also create a special unit to analyze the growing use of date-rape drugs and make recommendations to the Attorney General on how federal funds can best be used to combat this problem. Mr. Speaker, I would again like to commend the work of my colleagues on this important legislation. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this bill and the process that brought it to the floor. My primary concerns are that we have not received sufficient guarantees that the Social Security surplus is protected, and we have not extended the Social Security Trust Fund for even one day. Prior to consideration of this package, the Congressional Budget Office certified that Congress was on pace to spend $17 billion from the Social Security Trust Fund in Fiscal Year 2000. Given that the offsets in this bill do not reach this level, and that this bill relies on numerous questionable budget gimmicks geared to mask the overall effect on Social Security, I cannot support it. At the same time, there are numerous examples of wasteful, unnecessary spending projects--money that would be better spent on Social Security and Medicare. What makes the above problems all the more tragic is that there are many positive aspects to this measure. As a sponsor of the COPS 2000 legislation, which will authorize the placement of 50,000 additional police officers on our streets, I am especially pleased that a down payment on this funding is included in this bill. In addition, money to add 100,000 new teachers to our schools to reduce class size is also included, as well as an increased commitment to the Lands Legacy Initiative, which will protect our natural areas. I voted for funds to help implement the Wye River peace agreement when they were considered previously, and I would like to be able to vote for them today. This bill restores resources, at least modestly, to our hospitals, nursing homes, and home health facilities that have been negatively impacted by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, but it does not do enough to solve the long term problems with Medicare reimbursement levels. I have been a leader of this effort, and I voted for similar provisions when they passed the House a few weeks ago. But I said at that time that more needed to be done to adequately address unfair cuts in Medicare. This budget puts pork barrel projects before funding for home health care, hospitals and nursing homes, and this is wrong. Mr. Speaker, this Congress opened with a bipartisan commitment to preserving the integrity of the Social Security system. This budget does not live up to that commitment. Protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare are top priorities for the families I represent and this budget does not pass the test. I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H. Con. Res. 222. This important resolution deplores the slayings of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Vazgen Sargsian; the chairman of the Armenian Parliament, Karen Demirchian; the deputy chairman of the Armenian Parliament, Yuri Bakhshian; the minister of operative issues, Leonard Petrossian; and other members of the Armenian government struck down in a violent attack on Parliament on October 27, 1999. This important resolution demonstrates to our friends in Armenia that we support them in this time of great tragedy for their nation. While condemning these violent acts, this resolution also shares the determination of the Armenian people that the perpetrators of these acts be swiftly brought to justice. The bill also commends the efforts of the late prime minister and the Armenian government for their commitment to democracy. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 216, the initial legislation which H. Con. Res. 222 is based upon. I want to express my support for this resolution and urge the adoption of this important measure.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the 60th anniversary of UAW Local 599 which will be celebrated on November 6, 1999, and the men and women who will receive the ``Walter P. Reuther Distinguished Service Award.'' The same solidarity that began in 1937 and 44 days later resulted in the first major industry wide contract in the United States is still thriving today. During those 44 days and nights the members of the fledgling UAW and the Flint community forged an alliance which has endured for the past 60 years. The brothers and sisters of Local 599 continue to give back to the community that played such a pivotal role in their success. Local 599 has collected over $1 million to help provide community residents with shelter, food, clothing, and medical care. They have coordinated the Marine Toys For Tots program which has given 10,000 children the overwhelming joy and excitement of a Christmas morning surprise for the past 10 years. The list of organizations to which they have given is long and includes the United Way, Easter Seals, American Cancer Society, Good Will, and the Salvation Army. The ``Walter P. Reuther Distinguished Service Award'' is being presented to Robert Aidif, David Aiken, Dale Bingley, Dennis Carl, Jesse Collins, Russell W. Cook, Harvey ``Whitey'' De Groot, Patrick Dolan, Larry Farlin, Maurice ``Mo'' Felling, Ted Henderson, Ken Mead, Frank Molina, Shirley Prater, Gene Ridley, John D. Rogers, Dale Scanlon, G. Jean Garza-Smith, Robbie Stevens, Nick Vukovich, Jerry Ward, Greg Wheeler, Don Wilson, Tom Worden, and James Yaklin in recognition of 20 years of recorded service in an elective office in the local union. These individuals have served their union brothers and sisters of UAW Local 599 and their communities with unparalleled devotion and perseverance. I would like to thank the men and women receiving the ``Walter P. Reuther Distinguished Service Award'' for their contributions and UAW Local 599 for 60 years of solidarity not only within the plant, but throughout the community. The union brothers and sisters of UAW Local 599 epitomize the values that have made our Nation great.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the members of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local #599, located in Flint, Michigan, on the 60th Anniversary of its charter. I would like to commend the 23 members of the local that received the 19th annual Walter P. Reuther Award for Distinguished Service. I will list the recipients at the end of my remarks. Local #599 was chartered on January 10, 1939, and has been an integral part of the great accomplishments of the labor movement during this century. It is important to remember that not long ago in this country, laborers, including children, toiled in squalid factory conditions for pitiful wages. Within a generation, dramatic strides were made to greatly improve the quality of life of workers. With continued effort, organized labor has secured numerous important rights, including safe workplaces, decent wages, health and life insurance, worker's and unemployment compensation, and continuing education and training. This progress continues to this day, as the UAW recently completed a new round of contract negotiations with the big three automakers. The labor movement in the United States, led by Local #599, has been at the forefront of progress in the area of civil and human rights, representing one of the great social advances in history. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to pay tribute to the great contributions that the members of Local #599 have made to Michigan and the country, and I ask my colleagues to do the same. I would specifically like to acknowledge the leadership of Local President Arthur McGee, and recognize the recipients of the Walter P. Reuther Distinguished Service Award. This award is one of two sanctioned by the International Union UAW, and is given for exceptional meritorious service by UAW members and community leaders. The 19th Annual Walter P. Reuther Award Recipients are: Robert Aidif, David Aiken, Dennis Carl, Russell W. Cook. Harvey ``Whitey'' DeGroot, Patrick Dolan, Larry Farlin, Maurice ``Mo'' Felling, Ted Henderson, James Yaklin, Ken Mead, Don Wilson, Frank Molina, Shirley Prater, Gene Ridley, John D. Rogers, Dale Scanlon, G. Jean Garza-Smith, Nick Vuckovich, Jerry J. Ward, Greg Wheeler, Tom Worden, and Dale Bingley. I again congratulate these members for their service to the UAW, their communities and their country. It is an honor to represent the members of UAW Local #599 in the United States Congress.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 552, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, this year the Michigan Women's Historical Center will induct ten members into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. These remarkable individuals from the past and the present have made noteworthy inroads in expanding opportunities and creating greater equality for Michigan women. Tonight at the Sixteenth Annual Michigan Women's Hall of Fame Awards Dinner, each of these individuals will be recognized for their significant contributions. I would like to congratulate the 10 new Hall of Fame members and thank them for blazing a trail for women to follow in future. Contemporary Honorees include writer and humanist Doris DeDeckere; nature columnist Margaret Drake Elliot; Elizabeth Homer, who has fought for educational and professional equality for women; and Sister Ardeth Platte, who has committed her life to social justice and eliminating violence Historical Honorees include Patricia Beeman, a member of the Southern African Liberation Committee, who fought to educate Michiganites on apartheid in South Africa; the first woman minister in the United States, Olympia Brown, the first woman to head the Detroit Police Department's Women's Division, Eleonore Hutzel; dietitian, writer and child advocate Ella Eaton Kellogg; and Emily Burton Ketcham, a Grand Rapids woman who fought for women's right to vote. Dr. Peter T. Mitchell, President of Albion College, was recognized with the Phillip A. Hart Award for his contributions nationally to improving educational opportunities for women.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our nation's doctors and patients. The Genesee County Medical Society has proclaimed today, and the third Tuesday of every October thereafter, as ``Patient Appreciation Day.'' At events around Genesee County, doctors are expressing their gratitude to their patients and are recognizing the great benefits of the doctor/patient relationship. I commend their efforts to reach out to patients and share their gratitude. At a time when the news is filled with negative stories about managed care, I believe Patient Appreciation Day is a positive way to recognize all the good things that are happening in our nation's health care system. Patient Appreciation Day is a time to mark the important role that patients play in making our nation's health care system the best in the world. It is a day when doctors take an extra moment with their patients to express their gratitude and celebrate the opportunities they are given to provide their life-giving services. It is my greatest hope that the Genesee County Medical Society has started a nationwide trend and that doctors across the country join in celebrating ``Patient Appreciation Day'' in the future. the Genesee County Medical Society should be applauded for their positive efforts toward improving the lives of the patients they serve.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 196, which will allow us to use the Rotunda to present a fitting tribute to President and Mrs. Gerald Ford--the Congressional Golf Medal. I would like to thank Mr. Ehlers, who now represents the Grand Rapids area, for his work on this measure. We are all aware of President Ford's political accomplishments: a 25 year career in the House of Representatives, serving as vice-president and then president. Throughout his career he represented Michigan and this country with dignity and was a great example to those that have followed in his footsteps in this House. He will forever be associated with the University of Michigan, and he always carried this pedigree proudly. President Ford ascended to the highest office in the land during one of the most turbulent periods in our political history, and it is the grace that he and his wife Betty comported themselves that is perhaps their greatest legacy. President Ford restored a sense of stability to the office that was absolutely essential for both domestic and foreign relations. Among her many accomplishments, Mrs. Ford's dedication to helping others fight the terrible effects of breast cancer and substance abuse is well-known, and is illustrative of the caring decency this family came to represent. Madam Speaker, Gerald Ford answered the call when his country needed it most. His example of professionalism in the worst of circumstances helped the United States through one of its worst constitutional crises. I look forward to seeing this wonderful couple receive this well-deserved award, and I join my colleagues and the citizens of this country in thanking them for their devoted service.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose this legislation an to make clear my reasons for doing so. I want to make it perfectly clear at the outset that I do not support the legalization of marijuana or any reduction in penalties for Class One drugs. I was pleased when Mr. Barr's amendment affirming this principle passed unanimously during House consideration of the initial D.C. Appropriations bill. In fact, I voted for this bill with that provision included when the House overwhelmingly approved the initial bill in July to keep the legislative process moving forward. Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to this bill because it continues to broach the concept of local control for the District of Columbia, prohibiting the use of District and private funds on a host of matters, including the pursuit of voting rights in Congress for the citizens of the District. Furthermore, the process by which this bill has reached the floor has been flawed. The Republicans have not negotiated on these issues in good faith, and have not adequately worked with Representative Norton. I know that we can reach agreement on a bill that maintains a strong prohibition on the legalization of all Class One drugs, if the majority will simply reach across the aisle. I hope this happens soon.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for his comments. I know that his State of Illinois is not unlike Michigan and all of us across the country right now are having those conversations with our hospitals and our nursing homes and home health facilities, and most importantly with our families that are represented and served by those providers who want to serve them, who are quality facilities but are finding themselves in very difficult situations as a result of the Congress. We can change that. It is up to us and it is long overdue. I would like now to call on another colleague of mine from Illinois. Illinois is filled with wonderful leadership and I am so pleased to have a Member who has come to this body in her first term and has become an instant leader on a number of issues, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), who is here with us this evening to speak as well.

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I also thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) for her comments. I am so pleased that she raised hospice. That is such an important service. In Michigan, I was pleased as a member of the State House of Representatives to help pass the law that we now have on the books in Michigan, and I know for my own family as well that hospice has been a very important service. When we look at all of these issues, it is the continuum of care we are talking about. Unfortunately, when we are not adequately funding one area it just moves over into the next. So we need to look at this comprehensively on behalf of families. It is now my pleasure to turn to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), who is a sponsor of H.R. 1917. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) and I have been working together on this issue it seems like for a long time, too long, and I know that he is deeply involved and cares passionately about this, and I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership. He has been there since the beginning when we have been trying to resolve the issues, particularly around home health care. I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership.

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, let me just say in conclusion as well, I again thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern). I thank my other colleagues. To those that are having the opportunity to listen this evening, I would hope that they would pick up the phone and call their Representative, call their Senator, be involved, e-mail, mailings, whatever means they have of communicating. Now is the time to do that. We do have the best health care system in the world. But right now we are in a situation where we are jeopardizing people's health, people's quality of life, and in many cases, unfortunately, their lives. And it is not necessary. This is fixable. We can do something about it. Medicare works. It is a great American success story. We need to make sure we keep it that way.

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, first, as we begin this evening, I want to associate myself with the comments of my colleagues this evening concerning Matthew Sheppard and all of those who have found themselves the victims of hate crimes and the great necessity to pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Act as quickly as possible. This evening I am joining with colleagues to speak out in support of efforts to restore Medicare cuts that have been too deep and have gone on too long, and we have an opportunity in this session before we leave to fix it, and we need to do that as quickly as possible. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 included numerous cuts to Medicare payments, to health care providers, and the original intent was to slow the growth of the costs of Medicare by cutting approximately $115 billion over 5 years. Recently the Congressional Budget Office has projected, however, that Medicare spending has been reduced by almost twice that amount. Clearly Congress went too far. These are not simply numbers that we are talking about. These are people, these are families, these are doctors and nurses trying to provide care, home health care providers, nursing homes that are trying to provide care, hospitals, teaching hospitals that are trying to make ends meet with cuts from the Federal Government that have gone too far. Earlier this year 80 Members of the House joined me in sending a letter to the President asking him that as he put together his Medicare reform package that he not choose to cut Medicare further. I am very pleased that he heard our message and that in fact he did not choose to cut Medicare further but instead proposed restoring $7 billion worth of cuts. That is a good first step, but it is not enough for us to be able to truly solve the problem that faces our health care providers across the country. Many of us have cosponsored numerous bills that seek to resolve specific problems that have arisen with the balanced budget agreement. Just this year I have cosponsored 10 bills myself that cover specific issues ranging from hospital outpatient prospective payment systems to the $1,500 cap placed on therapy services. My colleagues joining me tonight are deeply concerned and involved in this issue. The sheer number of bills alone that have been introduced and cosponsored by people on both sides of the aisle should send a strong message to the leadership that we need to act now. Time is running out. For too many time has already run out, and shame on us if we do not act now. Just today key members of the Committee on Ways and Means and the Finance Committee on the Senate side have introduced marks for legislation to mark up future bills. I am pleased that Senator Daschle has introduced a comprehensive bill that addresses a number of the issues we will speak to this evening. Tonight is our opportunity to outline our priorities for what this legislation should address. Solving the balanced budget agreement concerns involves dollars, Federal dollars, but as I indicated earlier, we have seen more than twice the amount cut that is necessary for Medicare's portion of the balanced budget agreement, and we are now facing surpluses, we are debating surpluses over the next 10 years. For many of us, we have been fighting to put Social Security and Medicare first. We have an opportunity to do that, and an important part of putting Medicare first is to restore the cuts that have been made and provide an opportunity for people to receive the health care that they need and deserve. Tonight we are going to talk about real pain that real people are suffering as a result of the deep cuts. Let me take just a moment in each of the three major areas and then ask my colleagues to respond as well. Let me speak to Michigan. I have had an opportunity to travel across Michigan speaking to hospital providers, nursing homes, home health care providers. Michigan hospitals alone are expected to bear between $2.5 and $3 billion, not million, billion dollars in cuts as a result of the balanced budget agreement. That is a 10 percent cut in their Medicare reimbursements since 1997. Now, to put that in perspective, 10 percent of the Medicare services to hospitals are providing in-patient care, persons staying overnight. We are talking about a 10 percent cut that could wipe out in-patient care in Michigan. Michigan is already suffering. Schoolcraft Memorial in Manistique, Michigan is suffering devastating losses of the VBA and they recently made the painful decision to close their maternity ward. Now, this is an area where now women are going to have to travel at least 50 miles, travel about an hour in order to deliver their babies. What if there is an emergency? What if that hour is too late? I have talked with hospitals in Marquette, Michigan in the upper peninsula; in northern Michigan, in my hometown in Sparrow Hospital and the Medical Regional Center and down in the metropolitan area of southeastern Michigan, Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford Health Systems. In fact, Henry Ford Health Systems located in Detroit announced recently just last week, in fact, that 1,000 employees not directly involved in patient care will be asked to voluntarily retire or will be laid off. One thousand employees, and we have discussions of hospitals, whole hospitals closing. What is it that we need for our hospitals? We need to repeal the balanced budget agreement transfer provisions. I have cosponsored with colleagues H.R. 405 that would repeal the transfer provision. Currently, hospitals are not discharging patients to nursing homes because the paperwork and regulations are just too difficult. Secondly, we need to limit the reductions for outpatient care. This is a number one concern for hospitals, and I am pleased to have cosponsored H.R. 2241 that would limit reductions to outpatient care. We need to limit reductions for in-patient care as well, and I am pleased to have cosponsored H.R. 2266 with the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) that would increase payments to hospitals for in- patient care. We need to provide more support for our rural hospitals in communities like Manistique that are feeling the need to close their facilities for delivering babies. We need to increase Medicare's commitment to graduate medical education. Our esteemed colleague and ranking member on the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) has recognized the importance of this issue and I am pleased to be cosponsoring legislation, H.R. 1785, that would stabilize payments to hospitals for the indirect costs associated with graduate medical education. In the areas of nursing homes, the major feature of the balanced budget agreement that has impacted skilled nursing facilities was the implementation of the Medicare perspective payment system for in- patient services and the establishment of caps on therapy services. The impact of these provisions could range from decisions by nursing homes to no longer provide services that are not adequately reimbursed to limiting the amount of services that a patient can receive. The prospective payment system has dramatically changed the way skilled nursing facilities approach Medicare patient admissions. Now, skilled nursing facilities require more information prior to a Medicare admission because they have to assess the overall costs and compare that to the costs of reimbursement that they are receiving, and too many times this is keeping our frailest and sickest patients out of our nursing facilities. The other obstacle to care that nursing facilities are facing is the arbitrary cap of $1,500 for therapy services. The Balanced Budget Act created a $1,500 cap for physical and speech therapy together, and another $1,500 cap for occupational therapy. These caps are way too severe. They are not allowing patients to receive the services that they need. Once the beneficiary reaches the cap, the nursing facilities must seek payment from the patient or decide whether or not to continue care. Our nursing homes need to lift the arbitrary therapy cap, and we need to reduce the cuts from the prospective payment services. Finally, an area that has been hit extremely hard by the balanced budget agreement cuts, and that is the area of home health care. The Balanced Budget Agreement was expected to cut Medicare spending on home health by $16 billion, but earlier this year when CBO reestimated the Medicare budget baseline, that number had more than doubled. Right now, we are seeing Medicare payments to home health agencies reduced by over $48 billion. Not $16 billion, $48 billion. This is $32 billion more than Congress intended, and this needs to be addressed now. These numbers can be overwhelming when we look at what this means for patients. Mr. Speaker, 28 agencies have closed in Michigan. Twenty-eight agencies have closed in Michigan, and over 2,400 agencies have closed nationally or have stopped providing service. I remember, Mr. Speaker, being on the floor a year ago, a number of us, working on this issue of home health care, organizing a national rally to address home health care cuts, and at that time we said there were 1,200 agencies that had closed and that if nothing was done, we would see that double. We do not want to be right about that, but in fact, it has doubled. I do not want to be here a year from now saying it has doubled again and people have lost their services and that families have found themselves in horrible situations as a result of trying to care for a loved one at home or, at the same time, finding themselves in a situation where someone needs to be placed back into the hospital or in a nursing home when they could, in fact, be at home or be with loved ones. We have numerous examples, and I know my colleagues will speak to this as well. What do our home health agencies need? We need to first eliminate the 15 percent cut that is currently scheduled for next year, October 2000. We need to establish a payment system to cover what are called outliers or the costliest and most expensive patients that are difficult right now for home health agencies to serve as a result of the cuts. We need to provide overpayment relief. We need to revise the per-visit limits to at least 108 percent of the medium which is simply right now just too low to cover the sickest and the frailest patients. And, we need to develop an equitable perspective payment system for home health. We can achieve these goals. We can fix this problem. We have in front of us an opportunity. We are talking about budget surpluses for the next 10 years, not budget deficits. We have people that are not receiving health care in a country with the greatest health care systems available in the world, and yet too many are not able to receive them. We can fix this, and I am pleased tonight to be here with my colleagues that are going to share as well in their thoughts as they relate to how this affects their States. Let me first call on the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) who has been one of the leaders as well on this question of restoring Medicare cuts. I am so pleased the gentleman is here this evening.

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts. He is absolutely correct. This is a question of priorities. This is about our deciding what the priorities for the country are. I remember a few months ago when colleagues in this House and Senate in the majority felt that the priority was a tax cut, a tax cut that was geared to the top 1 percent wealthiest individuals in the country, and they were able to pass a tax cut that took basically all of the on- budget surplus, almost $800 billion, much more than we are talking about here. We are talking about less than a tenth of that, few percentage points of that to help with Medicare so that people have health care that they need when they need it. So the priority was to do that. The President said no. He vetoed that. We now have an opportunity to come back and do what I know the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) and I have been saying all along, which is put Social Security and Medicare first. The first step with Medicare is to restore the cuts. We have to do that so that we can then go on to strengthen it. I often think about the fact that, in my mind, Social Security and Medicare are great American success stories. Prior to Social Security, half of the American seniors were in poverty. Today, it is less than 11 percent. Prior to Medicare being enacted in 1965, half the seniors could not purchase insurance, could not get health insurance. Today one of the great things about our country is that, if one is 65 years of age, one knows, or if one is disabled, one knows that one is able to have basic health care provided to one in this country. This is something we should be proud of. I do not understand why it is now, when we are faced with the opportunity to decide what our American priorities are for the next 10 years, why we are fighting with the majority to restore what everyone agrees were cuts that went too far.

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I totally agree. I would much rather be here, as I know the gentleman from Massachusetts would, talking about how we modernize Medicare with the prescription drug coverage than to say that we are here having to talk about restoration of cuts or hospitals closing, literally closing. I do not think there is yet a total understanding of the depth of the cuts and the suffering and the struggle that is going on today; whole hospitals closing or maternity wards closing or home health agencies. A wonderful agency that I have worked with in Brighton, Michigan, the first time I visited there, it was two floors with nurses, home health providers on two floors that were serving people in Livingston County. I went back after the BBA was enacted. It is now one floor. The other floor is totally empty. What does that mean? That means those home health nurses, those individuals that were providing care to people in their homes are no longer available there to do that. It also means job loss. We are talking about supporting small business. When a hospital closes, when Henry Ford Health Systems has to lay off or early retire 1,000 people, those people are caring for their families. We are not just talking about the care, we are talking about jobs, incomes, the ability of people to care for their own families. So this is serious. My concern is that we have a very short window of opportunity now to fix this, 3 weeks, 4 weeks possibly, certainly just a matter of weeks. We know there are bills that have been introduced. There are people that are talking about the issue. We need to get beyond the talk. The gentleman from Massachusetts and I have been talking about this for a long time. It is now time to do something about it.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) for his efforts and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak), who I know has been working for 3 years on this issue. I very much appreciate their leadership on this issue, as well as the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), and all of the others that have been mentioned concerning this very important issue. I come to the floor today, and I am a cosponsor of this legislation, not only as a Member of the House of Representatives from Michigan where we have seen tragedies occur, but also as a mother of a college- age daughter. I share my colleagues' support for classifying GHB as a Schedule I drug, placing it in the most highly regulated category of drugs. It depresses the central nervous system and as we know has reportedly been abused to produce intense highs and to assist in the commission of sexual assaults. GHB is a very dangerous drug when used in this context. It has been involved in acquaintance or date rapes, which happen to young women most likely between the ages of 16 and 24 more than any other group of women. Compared to stranger rape, it is grossly underreported, mainly because many women do not recognize such encounters as rape, particularly if there is minimal violence. Yet, it is rape, and it is a crime. The statistics on date rape are frightening. It is estimated that one in four college women have been the victim of date rape. In a recent study, 84 percent of rape victims knew their attacker, and 57 percent of those were raped on a date. According to Virginia's Council Against Sexual Assault, those figures make acquaintance and date rape more common than heart attacks or alcoholism. This is a serious issue, and I am very pleased to be joining my colleagues to bringing this to the floor. I urge that we have an overwhelming bipartisan support for this bill.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Chairman, I am very pleased to be a cosponsor of the Norwood-Dingell-Ganske legislation. I want to particularly thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) for his leadership in this area. I rise to strongly oppose the Boehner substitute. I want to take just a moment to share the story of Jessica Luker. Jessica died 3 weeks ago. She had an emergency operation on May 11. Her family found out on May 12 that they had suddenly become part of an HMO as of May 1. The HMO would not cover the emergency surgery. They would not allow her to continue with her doctor of 14 years, her neurologist who had been caring for her and her disability. Jessica died while her family was fighting the HMO that would not allow her to get the kind of care that she needed. It is not right in this country when a family that is struggling to care for their dying daughter also has to fight their insurance carrier. The Boehner substitute would do nothing to help Jessica's family or her situation. I urge a ``no'' vote on the Boehner substitute and a ``yes'' vote on a real patients' bill of rights.

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my extreme disappointment in the process that led to the consideration of the Conference Report for H.R. 1906 in the House of Representatives today. While I intend to vote for this legislation, the leadership in the House has chosen to ignore the wishes of this body on two counts. First, we selected conferees, knowledgeable Members who have proven themselves in this process, who should have been allowed to represent the House during the conference on H.R. 1906. In the end, however, the conferees were shut out of the process and the final version of the conference report was developed by House leadership, behind closed doors. Second, this House voted just last week, by an overwhelming majority, to mandate the Option 1A pricing scheme for dairy. H.R. 1402, the bill that I strongly supported and was proud to cosponsor, passed this House on September 22, 1999, by a vote of 285 to 140. While many other elements of the farm crisis were addressed in the conference report, and I am pleased that over $8 billion has been directed for disaster assistance, why was the dairy crisis ignored? Why wasn't the issue of dairy even allowed to be brought to the table during conference negotiations? I am disappointed that H.R. 1402 is not included in the conference report. Our dairy farmers deserve more. Mr. Speaker, despite these problems, I am pleased to announce that several special grants that are critical for Michigan agriculture will be funded again this year at their Fiscal Year 1999 levels. The following grants, many of which are executed at the world-class land grant institution in my district, Michigan State University, have been funded at their Fiscal Year 1999 levels: Improved Fruit Practices, Wood Utilization, Potato Research, Apple Fireblight, and Sustainable Agriculture. Overall, the positive provisions included in the conference report allow me to support it, but the process that brought us to this point has been deeply flawed and I am very disappointed that the House has not included H.R. 1402 in this legislation

Ms. STABENOW

Ms. STABENOW. Mr. Speaker, the Big Brother Big Sisters of Greater Lansing program celebrates 45 years of bringing together young people at risk with older people willing to serve as a role model and mentor. Before terms like ``quality time,'' ``mentoring,'' or ``at risk youth'' were buzz words in our society, Big Brothers and Big Sisters has been helping to give young people something we all need--a friend. Perhaps more than any other program this century, the Big Brothers Big Sisters program offers an inspiring example of what can happen when an adult is willing to be a friend to a young person in need of a positive influence. Like similar programs throughout the country, the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program of Greater Lansing has been a smashing success. I would like to thank the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Lansing and everyone who has made the commitment to serve as a big brother or big sister for a child. Thousands of children have found the friend, the confident, the role model they never had in their big brothers and big sisters. I send my sincere thanks to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Lansing for taking the time to care and make the Lansing community a better place for all children.